OKW

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) was a body of the German military which had oversight over the Wehrmacht armed forces of Nazi Germany from 4 February 1938 to 8 May 1945; the armed forces included the Heer (army), Luftwaffe (air force), and Kriegsmarine (navy). Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl were the two senior OKW leaders during World War II, and they were responsible for devising the strategies employed by the Axis during the war in Europe and North Africa. Adolf Hitler attempted to take control of military matters several times, leading to Germany's loss in the war, and both Keitel and Jodl were hanged for war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials.